The publication 'Wish You Were Here 2015', by UK Music, claims music tourism boosted the economy in Northern Ireland by £84m in 2014 and helped sustain 694 full-time jobs.

It comes after Belfast musician Van Morrison was bestowed with a knighthood, the latest accolade in a career that has taken him from the back rooms of Belfast’s pubs to the world’s biggest arenas, winning him critical acclaim along the way.

The study showed that over 260,000 music tourists visited Northern Ireland in 2014 to attend a concert or music festival. These visitors generated £84m for the economy; £41m coming from festivals and £43m from concerts.

The report also highlights the Odyssey Arena, Belfast as an example of the many venues, festivals and companies that are helping to support and drive the booming music tourism industry across the region.

It also stated that £860 was the average spend by overseas music tourist visiting Northern Ireland in 2014. Of the 260,000 music tourists, 209,000 came for concerts and the rest for festivals.

Jo Dipple, UK Music Chief Executive said: "Our rich music heritage and infrastructure has made the UK the go-to destination for live music globally and these statistics show that tourism is now a bedrock of British music and the wider economy."

Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale said: "British music is legendary around the world and this report confirms its role in our tourism boom. Our creative industries are one of the UK's greatest success stories, and music festivals are making a huge contribution to local economies across the UK."